Hand luggage



July 18, 1933. s. H. WHEARY 1,913,310

HAND LUGGAGE Filed June 11, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l G. H. WHEARY HAND LUGGAGE July 18, 1933.

Filed June 11, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 18 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE HENRY \VHEARY, OF BAGINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO WHEARY TRUNK COMPANY, OF EACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN HAND LUGGAGE.

Application filed June 11,

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inhand luggage and has as an object the provision of an improved case whereby one or more mans suits may be readily carried without wrinkling and at the same time provide ample space for other articles without increasing the overall size or weight of the case.

A further object of the invention is to produce a suitcase or similar device in which the suit may be placed and tension applied thereto in order to eliminate wrinkles from the suit prior to closing.

Another object of this invention resides 1n the provision of improved means for attaching the removable garment holder or hanger in the case to avoid shifting of the suit or suits during closing of the case.

/Vith the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention constructed according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view ofa mans case embodying my invention, the case being shown in open position with one mans suit in the position it occupies just prior to' being folded overthe supporting frame or form, and the cover being broken away;

Figure 2 is an end view ofmy improved case, with parts broken away and in section and illustrating the cover in open position with two mans suits in place; Figure 3 is an end view similar to Figure 2 i but showing the cover closed; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, detail view of a hanger showing the 1mproved means for attachmg the same in the case.

1930. Serial No. 460,412.

Referring now more particularlyto the accompanying drawings, in which vlikenumerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 represents the main section of a luggage carrier ofthe hand case type having a cover 6 hingedly connected therewith along one marginal edge, as at 7 As is customary, the case is provided with a conventional handle 8 and locking devices 9. The interior of the main section may be suitably partitioned according to the requirements for which it is constructed, and in the present instance a partition 10 is removably mounted in the main section parallel with and spaced from its front wall 11 byguides 12, there being a suitable cover 13 hingedly mounted to close the compartment or space 14 provided between the partitionIlO and the front wall 11. If desired the compartment 14 may be sub-divided in any suitable manner.

Provision is made for carrying one or more and the side arms 17 thereof have their inner ends 18 directed upwardlysat an angle when the frame is in a horizontal position over the main section, and pivoted, as at 19, to

the upper rearwardly inclined ends 20 of attaching members 21 which are removably secured inrchannel members or guides 22 secured to the side walls of the mainsection adjacent their rear inner ends.

The closed end of the U shaped garment carrying or supporting frame has a substana' tially circular bar 23 secured thereto which is preferablypadded or covered with a-soft yieldable material 24 to prevent creasing of a garment 25 having its medial portion folded thereover in a manner later described, and the ends of the bar 23 are preferably provided with guards 26 to prevent sidewise movement of the suits oft of the ends thereof.

The'frame 15 is of such size that when it is swung to a horizontal position over the main section 5, the bar 23 will be adjacent the front wall 11 but spaced therefrom a distance sufiicient to allow for the thickness of the suits folded thereover, and when the cover 6 is open, in which position it is held by asuitable collapsible support 27, and the frame swung vertically, the bar 213 will pass a line drawn vertically through the pivot 19 and thus rest against the cover.

The hangers 16 are each substantially conventional mans coat hangers having a top portion 28 of a shape to lit the shoulders of a coat and vest and. a transverse bar 29 over which trousers may be draped. A T shaped header fastener 30 is secured to each hanger by. means of a flexible strap 3L the head or fastener being engageable in a T slot formed iria keeper 32 which is centrally mounted in the rear portion of the cover adjacent its hinged connection'with the main section.

I The T shaped slot in the keeper 32 is elongated to extend throuhgout the length of its portion 33 whichparallels the top wall 34: of the'cover and the head of the T slot is in the transverse portion'of the keeper which parallels' the rear end wall 35 of the cover, so that when the cover is open and a hanger is attach'edby having its T head 30 engaged with the keeper 32,tension maybe applied thereto to facilitate straightening and arranging the suit duringpacking. The hanger, for convenienc'e is also provided with a pivoted hook 35' to permit its use apart from the case, as will be readily apparent.

In arranging a suit inthe case, the trousers are neatly draped over-the bar 29 of the hanger, the'coat and vest next placed thereon'i'n the conventional manner, and the T shaped head or fastener 30 secured in the keeper 32, the frame having been first placed in its horizontal position over the main sect'ion; The suit is then straightened out in the manner illustrated in Figure 1 so as to avoid 'creasesand folds except in the customary places and the frame is then swungupwardly 'on its pivot causing the suit'to fold'about the bar 23 inthe manner illustrated in Figure2j" i i 1 V 'A'bo'ard 36 01 other suitable retaining means is then detachably connected withthe 'side'arm's 17 of the frame 15 by fastrraings 37, to hold the lower ends of the coatand trousers against their upper end portions,

the board 36 also preventing the ends of the coat from dropping into the main section of "thecase when the frame 15 is moved there over.

When more than one suit is to be carried in the-case, the second. sult- 18 arranged on lts'hanger and secured in place over the first suit 'wh'en the same is in its position illustrated in Figure 1. and it is noted that the flexible strap 31 of the hanger on which the second suit is hung is preferably longer than that of the other hanger, so that the shoulder portions of the suits are not superposed. This materially reduces the combined thicln ness of the s The second suit is then alsoneatly folded in the manner shown in Figure 1 and the frame then swung vertically as previously described and the bottom ends of the garments secured in place by the board v After the suits have been properly ar ranged, it is of course undesirable to shift, or in any way derange them; but in luggage heretofore proposed for the carrying of mans suits, the manner of attaching the garment supporting structure within the ea c resulted in shifting of the same as the co 'er was closed, so that very often the garments were wrinkled and mnssed.

The present invention entirely eliminales this und sirahe feature in that the flexible strz i i 1 connect the hangers 16 with the keeper acconnnodate the movement of the keeper toward the hangers and. permit the cover 6 to be closed, at er the supporting frame ismoved to its horizontal po ition. as illustrated in Figure 2, without imparting movement to the hangers and c nsequent y the garmentsarranged thereon. the straps folding and doubling up as shown in Figure 3. Closing of the case therefore does not in any wayfdisturb thencat and desired arra gement of the suits. and as the case is carried and ordinarily rests in a position with. the bar of the supporting frame li upp'sl most, it isobvious that there is nev r any tendancy toward shifting of the suits from their proper positions draped ore-r th lair It is also readily apparent that by provid ing flexible means of attachment for the garment hangers, slnfting of the garments after they have been properly arranged is entirely eliminated.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. In a hand luggage case'including a main section and a cover therefor, means for supporting garments within the case comprising, a rigid self-supporting garment carrier hav ing a part over which garments may be folded, means mounting said carrier in the case so that'the carrier is held stationary in the case when closed, a garment receiving member upon which garments are draped preparatory to being folded over i said carrier part, means for connecting the garment receiving member with the cover of the case to facilitate arrangement of the garments on said carrier, the point of connection of said means with the cover moving toward a garment on the carrier during closing of the cover, and said connecting means being flexible whereby the garment receivin member remains stationary within the garment during closing of the cover.

2. In a hand luggage case of the character described including a main section and a c 7 iation.

3. In a hand luggage case of the character described, including a main section and a cover hingedly connected therewith, garment retaining means within the case comprising a frame substantially stationary in the case when closed and having a part over which a garment may be folded, a garment hanger upon which the garment is draped preparatory to being folded over the frame part, keeper means carried by the cover, said keeper means being so positioned on the cover as to move toward the frame during closing of the cover, and flexible means for connecting the garment hanger with the keeper means, whereby tension may be applied to the garment between the frame part and the garment hanger during arrangement of the garment on the frame and whereby the garment hanger is free to remain stationary during shifting of the keeper means, incidental to closing of the cover, so that the garment is not deranged by closing of the cover.

4. In a hand luggage case of the character I tially fined position in said section when the case is closed, a garment hanger upon which garments are draped preparatory to being folded over said unit part, an attaching member mounted on the interior of the other hinged section adjacent the hinged connection but in a position at which said attaching'member moves toward the unit part during closing of the case, and a collapsible connection between the garment hanger and the attaching member, said collapsible connection enabling application of tension to the garment draped over the hanger to facilitate its arrangement on the garment supporting unit and accommodating the shifting of the attaching member toward said unit part during the closing of the case while enabling the garment'hanger to remain stationary with the garment and said supporting unit. 7 i

5. In a hand luggage case including hingedly connected sections, the combination of a garment supporting frame mounted in one section and adapted to have garments draped thereon, a garment hanger adapted to have garments draped thereon preparatoryto their arrangement on the frame, and a flexible connection mounting said garment hanger in the other section, said flexible connection holding the garment hanger so as to accommodate arrangement of the garment on the frame during packing and enabling the garment hanger to remain stationary with respect to the garment during closing of the case.

GEORGE HENRY WHEARY. 

